“Go to sleep, Taehyung,” Jin tells his son for what feels like the hundredth time.

“B-but where’s Tata Heart?” The blankets muffle Taehyung's voice.

“He's at Uncle Hoseok’s. Now go to sleep.”

“Ok, but I hope he puts Tata under a warm cover so that he won't get cold.” Taehyung tries to sit up, and Jin quickly tucks him back under the comforter, chuckling to himself when the child pouts.

“I’m sure he did; Uncle Seok’s very smart. Now go to sleep like a good boy, okay?” Jin’s not above begging.

“And I hope he feeds him lots of milk. Ms. Wang says milk is good for your heart,” Taehyung informs him, and there isn’t an ounce of sleep in the child’s voice.

Jin grunts in frustration.

“He will. Go to sleep.” He feels like a broken record.

Taehyung turns on his side and pulls the covers around his shoulder, and Seokjin breathes a sigh of relief.

“Appa.”

!

“Do you even remember where we left Tata?” Taehyung asks, urgency in his tone.

“I told you, he's at Uncle Seok's. Go to sleep,” he answers his son and mentally calculates how many times he’s said the phrase in the last thirty minutes.

“B-but, but was he on the bed in the empty room? Because, because, because Tata can’t sleep alone?”

Jin’s been home for only three hours; he’s worked a twenty-hour shift in the children’s ER. He wants to sleep, and he’s had enough.

“OMG! Taehyung, I don't know! I don't care! Go! To! Sleep!”

Silence.

Taehyung pulls the cover all the way over his head, cocooning himself. Normally, when he’s rested and not crazy and sleep deprived, Jin would feel guilty about yelling at the youngster. Today he feels no guilt. Fluffing the pillow under his head, he snuggles into the softness and closes his eyes. Slumber is closing in, and Jin welcomes it with open arms.

“Okay, but Appa, do you think Tata is with Minnie?” Taehyung’s voice pulls him from the edge, and Jin wants to cry.

“Yes, Tae, yes. I’m sure Tata is with Minnie,” he answers in defeat.

“Okay, goodnight, Appa.”

Almost immediately, the child’s even breathing fills the room. Jin stares at Taehyung in stunned disbelief; only seconds prior the child was wide awake and bushy-tailed, and now, now, after tearing Seokjin from the dregs of sleep, Taehyung’s knocked out, as though he’s a light whose switch has been flipped to off. Sighing, a soft chuckle escapes Jin’s plush lips. His little boy, the love of his life and the reason he wakes up every day, will forever keep him on his toes.

Hoseok’s not sure what he expected Jongin’s new beau to look like, but Park Chanyeol is not what he pictured. Maybe it’s because Jongin's previous lover, Do Kyungsoo was, in every way, the polar opposite of the tall lawyer with the large hands, even larger ears, and the goofy yet infectious smile. Hoseok likes the man immediately.

“I know I keep saying this, but are you sure you’re a lawyer?” he asks the man for the fifth time since their introduction.

“I swear,” the man says with a booming voice, holding up two fingers in a boy scout pledge.

“You were a boy scout?” Jongin asks in surprise.

“Nah, it just makes me seem more sincere,” Chanyeol deadpans, and Hoseok almost chokes on his water. “So, why exactly are your parents so interested in your son. They have nothing to gain; the courts are very passionate about keeping children with their natural parents unless there’s a threat of imminent harm to the child’s wellbeing. If your parents pursue this, it will be an uphill climb because the burden of proof would lay with them. They’d have to prove you unfit beyond a shadow of a doubt before a court would take your child away. So I guess this is my very roundabout way of asking, do your parents have any ammunition that could make a judge consider their demand?” There it is, the lawyer hidden beneath the fun guy exterior.

“Honestly,” Hoseok answers, running a hand through his hair. It’s a nervous habit. “I don’t know. My parents have a way of getting what they want, with or without proof. They have ties to almost every political power; the burden of proof will not be on them. They just need to make the right phone call.”

“Wait, are you a Jung Enterprises, Jung?” The lawyer's eyes widen, and Hoseok laughs as he watches the realization of what’s going down dawn on the man.

“Yes, I’m the heir apparent,” he answers, unable to keep the bitterness out of his tone.

“Wow, well that changes the landscape quite a lot, doesn’t it?”

The lawyer leans forward, a thoughtful look in his eyes, fingers absent-mindedly drumming on the table, causing the juice in his glass to vibrate slightly. The man’s action makes Hoseok nervous. Unconsciously, he reaches out and grabs hold of Yoongi’s hand. The warmth of the contact calms him somewhat. Yoongi’s grip offers security, and Hoseok is too anxious to worry about why touching the manager has this effect on him; to be very honest, he’s thankful it does.

“It’s okay; I’m here," Yoongi leans forward and whispers in his ear. "We’re in this together, remember?”

Hoseok can only nod and do all he can to ignore the shiver that trickles down his spine at the impact of Yoongi’s breath on his neck.

“I’m in,” Chanyeol says suddenly, and Hoseok looks up in surprise.

“W-what?” Hoseok, Jongin, and Yoongi respond in unison, and Chanyeol booms with laughter at their shocked expressions.

“Sweetie, are you sure?” Jongin asks, and Hoseok doesn’t miss the pride twinkling in the doctor’s eyes.

“I hate absolute power, especially when used to promote bad behavior. I can’t let someone else take this case, not when I know I can win.” Chanyeol turns his gaze to Hoseok. “If you’ll have me, I’d like to be your lawyer.”

Words aren’t forthcoming; he’s too shook up to speak.

“He accepts,” Yoongi answers from his left, the man’s thumb caressing the back of Hoseok’s palm. He’d forgotten they were holding hands.

“Excellent. Here’s my card. I’ll have my secretary call yours to set up an appointment. We’ll talk strategy then. Also, just to put you at ease, I’m good at what I do Hoseok. We’ll win. I promise. Now let’s enjoy our lunch and the rest of this beautiful day,” Chanyeol says pushing a menu in Yoongi and Hoseok's direction.

“I like him.” Yoongi turns to Hoseok, who’s sitting in the passenger seat of his car, head resting against the window.

“I do too; he’s not what I was expecting,” the man replies.

“Oh, what were you expecting?” Yoongi questions.

“I don’t know, really. I guess maybe something along the lines of the stoic, business only professionals I grew up around. My family has a personal lawyer. He’s been with us since I was a toddler, and I don’t think I’ve seen the man or any of his associates crack a smile, not once,” Hoseok tells him, shaking his head.

Yoongi wonders as he flips the left turn signal on, when it became a thing, him studying Hoseok’s facial expression to try and figure out what the man is thinking. He’s known Hoseok for way less time then he’s known Namjoon, and yet the instinct to protect the heir is just as strong as the one to protect Namjoon. For the past month, he’s been trying to figure out why a virtual stranger evokes such fierce emotions in him.

When he thinks about Hoseok’s family and what they are doing, there’s a need in Yoongi to destroy them, to squash them under his feet like the rodent scum they are. Shaking his head, Yoongi sighs. He’s not ready to accept that it may be more than just his dislike of seeing the underdog getting pushed around at work in this situation.

He’s never thought about relationships. Sure, he’s dated in the past, a lot—but no one has ever piqued his interest, not until the day Hoseok begged him to pretend to be his date, and Yoongi learned that there’s more to the man than just his radiant smile and razor-sharp jawline.

“You, okay?” He turns to see Hoseok looking at him.

“Yeah, why’d you ask?”

“That sigh was pretty deep is all. Look, I know that you’re a champion for the little guy and all, but honestly, hyung, my parents can be—well, hard to say no to. So if you need an easy out, I’m giving you one.” There it is again, his new habit, staring at Hoseok, trying to figure what lies beneath the deep brown eyes. Only this time, he knows the answer.

Pulling the car to the left, Yoongi stops in the parking lot of a local Stop N’ Shop and turns off the engine.